Underrated Reads

Together Tea – Marjan Kamali

Posted on August 15, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Darya loved to calculate the statistic of available Persian bachelors, factoring in their attributes, family histories, education, the probability for divorce. She had her very own system of assigning numbers to certain qualities… Darya was so proud of her knowledge of Excel," Darya loved mathematics, but gave that up when…

Posted in Culture, Modern Literary Fiction, Travel | 2 Comments

Defection Games – Haggai Carmon

Posted on August 4, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned The CIA and Mossad (Israel’s intelligence agency) engage in a constant battle to thwart Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This is how we meet up again with former Mossad agent, Dan Gordon, as he continues his dangerous undercover work for the CIA to fight the FOE (Forces of Evil) in the fast-paced…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Modern Literary Fiction, World Issues | Comments Off

I Am My Father’s Keeper: The Ten Steps to Caring For The Elderly – Dr. Patricia Hernandez Arnazzi

Posted on July 7, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Glenda Anderson) A frightening diagnosis: Dementia. Scarier yet: The patient is a spouse or loved one. Before your eyes is a shattered life. So, your mom or dad is suddenly behaving like a ten month-old child, only without the cuteness or expanding learning curve. What do you do? Send them away; tuck them…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs | 2 Comments

Jacob’s Folly

Posted on July 2, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Something amazing had happened to my sight: it was as if the top of my head had been removed and replaced with an enormous eye. I could see jagged purple clouds drifting above me, the streets stretching away at either side, and the houses below. This is how angels see, I…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Comments Off

Phillip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther Novels – Glenda Anderson

Posted on May 19, 2013 by J D Jung

(Submitted by Glenda W. Anderson) Phillip Kerr Check his page! If you have not as yet read any novels in the Bernie Gunther series, then, lucky you! Many hours of pleasurable fiction await as British author Phillip Kerr sweeps you back in time with his keen intertwining of who-dun-it with a…

Posted in Let's talk | 1 Comment

Rose of Málaga – Bobbi Verdugo

Posted on May 16, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) “… the greatest thing about Malagueños is that they will never ask you about your past or ask you to divulge.” That’s why Rose felt so comfortable here. People came to Málaga to go unnoticed. That was fine with her. But what brought her to this point in her life? Nineteen…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Travel | Comments Off

Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Nutritional Food – Catherine Shanahan MD, Luke Shanahan

Posted on April 25, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeanne Peters RD) As a Registered Dietitian for over thirty-five years, I have read and recommended plenty of nutrition books to my clients. However, I now count this book as one of my "Top 10" nutrition books because it goes deeper than most health books you've ever read. You'll discover how nutrition affects…

Posted in Health and Fitness | Comments Off

Tides Ebb as Islands Dream – Brian J. English, Ph.D

Posted on April 21, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) #CommissionsEarned Rule #1: Don’t try to understand anything. This was Sean’s primary rule as he began his assignment at the village of Gilutongan in the Olango Islands in the Philippines. Like so many Peace Corps volunteers, he sought to make a positive impact in the world. Though Sean was raised by…

Posted in Culture, Environmental, Modern Literary Fiction, Travel, World Issues | Comments Off

A Child Out of Alcatraz -Tara Ison

Posted on March 26, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) When I visit San Francisco, I often gaze over the bay to that small island that radiates so much history. This island housed some of America’s most infamous criminals: Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the Birdman of Alcatraz), George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Mickey Cohen, and many others. On this visit though,…

Posted in Historical Fiction, Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged book reviews, Historical fiction, San Francisco | Comments Off

Admission – Jean Hanff Korelitz

Posted on March 17, 2013 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) I don't know anything about the upcoming release of the film, Admission, starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, but I fondly remember reviewing the book right before is was released in 2009. It was college decision time, and students constantly checked their emails to discover which schools found them worthy of admission. Since we were…